Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli-Variationen András Schiff

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): Sonate Nr. 32 in c-Moll op. 111 (1821/22)
• 1I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appassionato08:55
• 2II. Arietta. Adagio molto et cantabile17:30
• Diabelli-Variationen op. 120 (1819/23)
• 3Thema. Vivace00:45
• 4Var. I. Alla marcia maestoso01:39
• 5Var. II. Poco allegro00:49
• 6Var. III. L'Istesso tempo01:20
• 7Var. IV. Un poco più vivace01:00
• 8Var. V. Allegro vivace00:59
• 9Var. VI. Allegro ma non troppo e serioso01:35
• 10Var.VII. Un poco più allegro01:09
• 11Var. VIII. Poco vivace01:29
• 12Var. IX. Allegro pesante e risoluto01:53
• 13Var. X. Presto00:42
• 14Var. XI. Allegretto01:09
• 15Var. XII. Un poco più moto01:00
• 16Var. XIII. Vivace01:11
• 17Var. XIV. Grave e maestoso03:35
• 18Var. XV. Presto scherzando00:37
• 19Var. XVI. Allegro01:03
• 20Var. XVII01:03
• 21Var. XVIII. Poco moderato01:36
• 22Var. XIX. Presto00:58
• 23Var. XX. Andante01:43
• 24Var. XXI. Allegro con brio01:09
• 25Var. XXII. Allegro molto00:38
• 26Var. XXIII. Allegro assai00:56
• 27Var. XXIV. Fughetta. Andante02:33
• 28Var. XXV. Allegro00:53
• 29Var. XXVI01:29
• 30Var. XXVII. Vivace01:02
• 31Var. XXVIII. Allegro01:05
• 32Var. XXIX. Adagio ma non troppo01:09
• 33Var. XXX. Andante, sempre cantabile01:47
• 34Var. XXXI. Largo molto, Espressivo04:32
• 35Var. XXXII. Fuga. Allegro - Poco adagio02:53
• 36Var. XXXIII. Tempo di menuetto moderato04:12
• Diabelli-Variationen op. 120 (1819/23)
• 37Thema. Vivace00:48
• 38Var. I. Alla marcia maestoso01:40
• 39Var. II. Poco allegro00:54
• 40Var. III. L'istesso tempo01:25
• 41Var. IV. Un poco più vivace01:02
• 42Var. V. Allegro vivace01:00
• 43Var. VI. Allegro ma non troppo e serioso01:40
• 44Var.VII. Un poco più allegro01:14
• 45Var. VIII. Poco vivace01:31
• 46Var. IX. Allegro pesante e risoluto01:56
• 47Var. X. Presto00:44
• 48Var. XI. Allegretto01:07
• 49Var. XII. Un poco più moto01:05
• 50Var. XIII. Vivace01:13
• 51Var. XIV. Grave e maestoso03:32
• 52Var. XV. Presto scherzando00:40
• 53Var. XVI. Allegro01:03
• 54Var. XVII01:10
• 55Var. XVIII. Poco moderato01:40
• 56Var. XIX. Presto00:59
• 57Var. XX. Andante01:49
• 58Var. XXI. Allegro con brio01:11
• 59Var. XXII. Allegro molto00:43
• 60Var. XXIII. Allegro assai00:59
• 61Var. XXIV. Fughetta. Andante02:34
• 62Var. XXV. Allegro00:54
• 63Var. XXVI01:30
• 64Var. XXVII. Vivace01:05
• 65Var. XXVIII. Allegro01:12
• 66Var. XXIX. Adagio ma non troppo01:12
• 67Var. XXX. Andante, sempre cantabile01:58
• 68Var. XXXI. Largo molto, espressivo04:31
• 69Var. XXXII. Fuga. Allegro - Poco adagio03:02
• 70Var. XXXIII. Tempo di menuetto moderato04:18
• Sechs Bagatellen op. 126 (1823/24)
• 71Andante con moto cantabile e compiacevole02:55
• 72Allegro02:56
• 73Andante cantabile e grazioso02:23
• 74Presto03:44
• 75Quasi allegretto02:16
• 76Presto - Andante amabile e con moto04:01
• Total Runtime02:29:34

Info for Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli-Variationen

Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations are considered a magnum opus of the piano repertoire, a towering contribution to the genre and an entire encyclopaedia of pianism. Following his monumental exploration of the 32 Sonatas, András Schiff has recorded - on two period instruments - remarkable, contrasting versions of the Diabelli Variations alongside major late works with intrinsic ties to them.

The Sonata Op. 111 and the Diabelli Variations (CD 1) are played on an original Bechstein grand from 1921, and the second reading of the Diabelli Variations (paired with the Six Bagatelles, Op. 126 on CD 2) on a Hammerflügel fortepiano from Beethoven’s own day.

This gives listeners a unique opportunity to compare the rich range of these highly contrasting sonic universes, a world apart from modern day instruments. The first is a studio recording from Lugano in December 2012, while the fortepiano version was recorded at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn in July of the same year. In his liner note András Schiff acknowledges the value of having been able to consult the previously unknown original manuscript of the Variations which provided invaluable insight into Beethoven’s compositional process - with his penmanship and writing speed offering subtle hints as to crescendos, tempos and arcs of tension - and intentions.

András Schiff, piano

As a young pianist, András Schiff earned wide esteem for his 1980s recordings of the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach; in recent years, as part of his long-term relationship with ECM, he has gone back to Bach as a sage veteran, earning even more acclaim for his New Series versions of the Goldberg Variations (2001) and the Six Partitas (2007), both intimate concert recordings. In August 2011, Schiff turned his focus to the 48 preludes and fugues of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, recording both Books I and II in the Auditorium Radiosvizzera Italiana, Lugano. The performance of these influential works sets new interpretive standards. For the recording, Schiff’s own Steinway was brought to Lugano, and the production beautifully captures a masterful player and his instrument of choice.

András Schiff, born in Budapest in 1953, puts a strong focus on cyclic performances of the important piano works by the masters from Bach to Bártok. His wide-ranging discography on ECM includes works by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Janáček, among many others. One of Schiff's most ambitious projects to date, the complete Beethoven sonata cycle was performed in 20 major musical centers worldwide and recorded for ECM in concert at the Zürich Tonhalle. In 1999, Schiff created his own chamber orchestra, the Cappella Andrea Barca, which consists of international soloists, chamber musicians and friends. In addition to working annually with this orchestra, he conducts London’s Philharmonia Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Booklet for Ludwig van Beethoven: Diabelli-Variationen